After the Twin Towers Fell
by Kathryn Claire O'Connor
Summary: On September 11, 2011, New Hope's own twin towers fell, and while one of those towers is decidedly gone, the other might just be rebuildable. Problem is, he has to decide that for himself.


**I just want to say that I don't know what date Chase committed suicide - the movie never says - but this is the idea that came to me. **

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September eleventh was a bad day for Lucas. Because that was the day that the twin towers fell. Not the ones in New York City that had gone down in 2001, but New Hope's own twin towers.

When Chase had died that day, a large part of Lucas had died with him.

He wanted to believe that there was a reason that Chase had chosen such a monumental date to take his own life, but if there was one, he just couldn't see it. And on the day that Chase had been gone a year and a half, he said as much to Michael Evans, trusting his tentatively entitled as such friend for some good advice, something that the preacher's kid had been forthcoming with in the past. Whether or not Lucas wanted it.

Mike rubbed his hands together, looking thoughtfully out of the window in his room. The boy's were seated on opposite ends of Mike's bed, the homework around them long abandoned as Mike had turned his full attention to the confession that Lucas had just wrapped up.

Lucas laughed dryly at himself. "I came here for Trig help, and now I'm asking you to play psychologist. You know what? You can just forget that I said anything."

Mike smiled just as dryly. "People tend to trust PKs to be good listeners at an early age. I'm used to it."

"Sorry, I shouldn't unload all of my junk onto you."

Mike shook his head again. "Hey, it's cool. Like I said, you get used to it, being a PK and all."

"PK?"

"Preacher's kid."

Lucas smirked and the boys turned back to their homework.

Later, as Lucas shoved his homework back into his backpack and prepared to leave, Mike said hesitantly, "You know, 9/11 in 2001 was an awful day in America's history. Essentially, America lost her innocence that day. But a lot of good things came out of it as well. If I understand correctly, it became a day of prayer. It was a day when Americans came together. Because of the attack" Mike shrugged before adding, "And in part because the towers fell, they found faith again, and found strength in themselves and each other. Maybe… could it be, that Chase meant to send you a message like that?"

"Everything has to come back to faith with you, doesn't it?" Lucas asked with another smirk as he swung his backpack over his shoulder.

Mike shrugged. "It was just a thought. You did ask for my opinion, so I gave it, that's all. And it's not just about faith. Hundreds of people died on 9/11. Thousands of people – a whole nation, really – was left bereaved. But we – they – scraped themselves up off of the ground, gathered their strength and courage, and continued living. They lost, they learned… and then they… they moved on. Maybe Chase just wanted you to know that it was okay to move on."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You didn't even know Chase, and that's just way too sappy." So saying, Lucas stalked out of the house, regretting even opening his mouth.

But something told him that there might just be a thread of truth in Mike's thought process.

And while playing basketball alone in the Greens' driveway two days later, that was a thought that wouldn't let him go. What if Chase had wanted him to move on? Certainly he had expected him too by now. It had been a hard eighteen months now without his brother and best friend, but he had his whole life ahead of him, all without Chase.

So maybe Mike was right. Maybe it was time to scrape himself up off of the ground, gather his strength and courage, and move on. Actually, no two ways about it, it was time to move on, to start living again.

Because whether or not Chase had meant to send him some sort of a message, Lucas decided that he was going to take it the way Mike had suggested he take it. And maybe he would even start this turning over of a new leaf with something to the order of a much-needed apology to Michael Evans.

He threw the ball up into the hoop, undistracted now that his decision had been made. Yep, there it was. Finally he had made a perfect shot.

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**Okay, honestly, I'm not sure where this one came from. I sat down to write something completely different, but this is what I ended up writing, so here it is, from me to you. Hope you enjoyed it; please review! Thanks!:)**


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